Treading Water
by day dream and write
Summary: Two impulsive Italians, Edoardo (Edward) and Alberto, are enjoying their summer holidays as they meander through the streets and the beaches of the solitary islet. One local, Bella, is enjoying her solitude as she sunbathes, reads and snorkels. Three adults are afraid of the storm that may lie ahead of them. Adventure- Friendship- Romance (AU, AH)
1. Chapter 1

It was a spur of a moment decision. The two guys stripped off their shorts, the t-shirts, their shoes and socks. They plunged into the water and the local girl rolled her eyes at their antics. Typical men. She returned her gaze to the book and continued reading. Until she felt someone looking at her. She looked up and her intuition was good as one of foreigner- the tallest of the two- was looking at her with interest. She returned his gaze for a fraction of a second and then decided to continue reading. It wasn't as if he was going to come over and start a conversation with her. She wasn't that type of girl. Guys never approached her. She wasn't sorry about this fact. She was used to it. She was unapproachable; to guys and girls. She had no friends except her sister. But that didn't count, right?

She looked up from her book, annoyed that these two were so loud. He looked at her and was he smiling at her? She rolled her eyes and continued reading- or trying too. What had caught _his_ attention? She wasn't pretty or fit- her thighs were full of cellulite. She wanted to remain invisible. Couldn't these two create racket near those blondes with red bikini who were like further away from her? No, they just wanted to annoy the wallflower who was reading and enjoying some peace and quiet.

She looked up from her book and realised the reason behind the cease of their laughter. They were whispering to each other. The other guy looked at her and winked and she huffed. He laughed. What was their problem?!

"Leave the poor girl alone," the tall guy said. His friend, Alberto, chuckled.

"She's funny," he said with a shrug.

"She looks angry," Edoardo muttered as he stole another glance at her. She had stopped reading and her face was marred with a scowl.

"Nah. That's just her face."

Edoardo snorted and threw another glance at her. Her face and chest were flushed red. It suited her perfectly.


	2. Chapter 2

Edoardo was making breakfast in the brightly lit kitchen of the small apartment that he shared with Alberto. The time was 10am. They both had overslept since they had spent the night drinking beer by the beach with two blonde girls. Alberto appeared in the kitchen. Edoardo placed a mug of coffee in front of Alberto. Alberto muttered 'grazie' and took a sip of the boiling drink. He hissed a little and cut a slice from the chocolate cake displaced in front of him.

"So Edoardo?" Alberto smirked.

"What?" Edoardo said.

"Nothing, nothing."

Edoardo snorted and sat opposite Alberto. He grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and took a bite.

"That smirk doesn't say 'nothing'."

"Well, Fiona seemed really _enchanted_ by you last night. I thought you were going to ask her to stay for the night."

"No thank you. Fiona is too clingy for my liking."

"True but she has nice tette," Alberto winked.

"Then why didn't _you_ ask her to stay the night with you?" Edoardo asked.

"I did but she turned me down. She said and I repeat 'Alberto, sei un ragazzo simpatico but my heart belongs only to Edoardo.' You're breaking the poor girl's heart!"

"You just confirmed that I had made the right decision by declining Fiona's advances. Besides, remember Rule Four?"

"Rule Four?"

"Rule Four- No girls in the apartment."

"Rules are there to be broken and besides it was Mrs. Garcia who came up with that rule."

Mrs. Garcia was the owner of the apartment block that they lived in. She lived in the apartment below them; Appartamento numero uno.

 _"So, you're interested in renting an apartment?"_

 _"Yes, Mrs. Garcia," Edoardo had said with a tight smile._

 _"Well, you first have to agree with these 10 rules."_

 _"Rules?" Albero asked._

 _"Yes. Rules. No smoking, no pets, no parties, no girls-"_

 _"No girls?" Alberto asked._

 _"Yes, no girls. If you want to have sex, go to her apartment. Not mine."_

 _"You mean ours if we decide to-"_

 _"Ok. No girls, no problems Mrs. Garcia," Edoardo cut in before Alberto could finish that sentence and ruin everything._

"But we agreed with those rules, remember?"

"Yes, yes."

Edoardo rolled his eyes and threw the apple's core in the dustbin.

"I'm going for a jog," he said. "Want to come?"

"No. Going to watch some porn."

"Al!"

"What? I thought honesty was a virtue."

Albert chuckled as Edoardo's face turned pink and left the room with a haste.

Italian Translations;

"True but she has nice tette," Alberto winked. (tette-tits)

'Alberto, sei un ragazzo simpatico but my heart belongs only to Edoardo.' (sei un ragazzo simpatico- you're a nice guy)

Appartamento numero uno. -Appartment number one


	3. Chapter 3

The lost city of Atlantis was what Edoardo decided to research about. During the morning jog, Edoardo encountered Savio, the middle aged pannel beater, sitting on a wooden stool in front of the boat house. He had told Edoardo,who had been living in the island for 10 months, about the city of Atlantis.

 _"It is believed that our island is the only remaining remnant of the old city."_

 _"Really? Why is that so?" Edoardo asked curiously. Savio's brown eyes flashed with enthusiasm._

 _"Well, have you ever went to visit the old Megalithic temples?"_

 _"Yes. They're one of the main tourist attraction, right?"_

 _"Yes, yes. But the tour leaders won't tell you this... Have you ever wondered how the smallest Island in the Mediterranean sea has one of the largest temples. That is because we're living on the remains of the City of Atlantis."_

 _"Is there a proof?"_

 _"Proof? Well no but tell me Edoardo, you're wearing that horn amulet."_

 _"It's supposed to protect you from the evil eye."_

 _"Do you believe in the evil eye?"_

 _"I believe in God. I believe in evil too."_

 _"And you can't prove that God exist, can you?"_

Alberto had no idea why Edoardo was working on the old beaten laptop. When he walked over his shoulder, he noticed that he was researching about the city of Atlantis. He rolled his eyes and asked Edward why was he researching.

"I'm not researching. I'm simply reading."

"Same thing," Alberto said and went in front of the TV. He started flipping through the channels until he decided to watch a documentary about a woman with the largest breast implants. That us until he fell asleep five minutes after. Meanwhile, the woman who loved reading by the sea, was also watching a documentary in the comfort of her bedroom. However, the documentary was about the Santorini islands. However, her attention shifted towards the telephone. She suddenly remembered that her sister didn't call to wish her happy birthday. Well, it was still 4pm… the night was young.


	4. Chapter 4

"So how was your birthday?" her sister asked her after 10 minutes complaining about her husband's new obsession with reptiles.

"Lovely! I went to the movies with this guy…"

"Really? You're dating someone."

"Yes. Is it so hard to believe?" Bella asked as she gazed at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair needed a cut.

"Well, you didn't tell me you were dating anyone, so…"

"Well, I am. His name is Ed."

"Like Ed Sheeran?" my sister chuckled.

"Yes," Bella said biting her lip.

"Well, I want to meet him."

"Sorry to disappoint but…"

"But?"

"I stayed at home," Bella said.

"What? Why?"

"I have no friends."

"Bella!"

"It's true. I thought you were going to call and come over and bake something together."

"I have a family."

"I _am_ family."

"Listen Bella, I've got to go… just go out and make friends. OK?"

"Whatever. I'll get a dog. Friends are overrated."

"Bye."

Bella sighed and went to the shower. Go out and make friends. She scoffed. It wasn't easy to make friends. She wasn't pretty or confident… Well, loneliness is better than betrayal, she mused with a sad smile. She headed to the shower and enjoyed the cold water. It was too hot and the A.C. wasn't working. She put on a red cotton dress and headed out for a walk.

Alberto, like Edoardo loved jogging and he did so as he listened to music and inhaled the fresh sea gust. Then he saw her. The woman who Edoardo described as 'divine'. He jeered as he watched the woman with the scowling face and thick thighs. She wasn't anything special. Just a plain Jane but Edoardo's fetish with big girls wasn't a secret. She was strolling towards him. She was just a few yards away, he did something impulsive. He called her.

"What?" she said with a frown.

"Sorry to bother you. Do you know the direction towards the maritime museum?" he asked.

"There's no maritime museum here," she said.

"Oh, I know," Alberto said with a wink and the woman frown's deepened.

"I'm Alberto," he said, "You?"

Alberto watched her eyes narrow slightly.

"I'm Bella, "she said.

"Your name suits you perfectly."

Bella scoffed and started walking away.

"Would you like to join me for a beer?"

"I'm a teetotaller," she said.

"Scusi?"

"It means I don't drink alcohol."

"Well, an ice cream then?"

"No thank you," she said and started walking away.

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

She flushed red a sputtered something.

"You're annoying," she said.

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